Southern California - LARIO - where do you need an armed escort?

What is the word on the current dangers of the LARIO trail?

LAbikepaths.com notes "Some viewers advise: Don't plan on stopping for flats, water, finding restrooms, etc. and don't go alone." This does not encourage tourism.

When I do a trail facilities survey, I ride alone, logging the GPS coordinates of the restrooms, the water fountains, the access points and other facilities. These appear on the TrailLink maps.

I just finished a survey down the Rio Hondo Bikeway from Peck Road to Hollydale Park on the LA River Bikeway. It was all very civil and a good ride. The pavement on the lower RH sure beats anything over on the SGRT. Hardly a crack in a mile.

That leaves the 12 mile section from Hollydale down to Long Beach. Are there areas to avoid? Are there parks to stay out of? And they are where???

BTW - has anyone ever seen a cop patrolling a bike trail in LA County? Do they?

I have never seen cops patrolling the bike trails ever. Just ride fast and no one will hassle you.

I have only ridden that particular 12 mile section once, but it looked like all the rest of the trails. It gets nicer as you get closer to the beach. There were quite a few folks walking along the trail on the Saturday that I rode it. I do recall a news story a few months ago about an elderly cyclist being mugged by four teens at a park along the Rio Hondo trail. I still ride by that park regularly, I just keep my speed up and avoid looking like an easy target. I figure there is a far greater chance of being run over by a car in rush hour traffic than there is of being attacked by some gangbanger on the trail. As far as cops, I see them almost daily at the Santa Fe Dam and probably pass a squad car driving down the trails about once every one or two months on my evening commute along the SGRT.

I rode the area from Rosecrans to Long Beach alone. It seemed fine and I felt safe enough to stop my bike and rest on the side of the trail. As Erik D mentioned, it's nicer as you get closer to the beach. On the weekend I didn't see any homeless. On the weekday I did see quite a few but they kept to themselves. It's true that there were no restrooms. Even though I said I felt safe, I wouldn't feel safe enough to use restrooms on the trail even if there were any. And I did have a hard time figuring out where to get off the trail to find water. Had to just exit the trail and ride down the street a bit until I ran into a convenience store. I'm not sure about the parks, I've only ridden the trail twice so far, but I passed one big park that looked fine as far as I could tell. Some families with kids and stuff were hanging out there. I probably wouldn't want to ride the trail at night but I do agree that almost getting killed by cars getting to the trail felt much more dangerous to me than the possible encounters with homeless people on the trail.

I ride those trails frequently. For as long as I have lived near the LART, I have yet to see anyone be bothered by another. I don't find them as bad as people make them out to be.

I ride the SGRT a lot (an hour north and south of Peck), and have seen police in cars/on foot on the trail numerous times. The Sherrif's helicopter is a familiar site, as well.

Thanks for the info on the LARIO - I'll try it out next time I'm over there.

It's true that there were no restrooms. Even though I said I felt safe, I wouldn't feel safe enough to use restrooms on the trail even if there were any. And I did have a hard time figuring out where to get off the trail to find water. Had to just exit the trail and ride down the street a bit until I ran into a convenience store. I'm not sure about the parks,

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From a reading of the road map (I circle all possible parks on trail for checking) and Google Earth flyover, I think you need enough water to take you from Long Beach up to at least Ralph C Dills Park in Paramount. Better - Hollydale, about 2.5 further on. Think of it as a desert crossing.

Dills is on my list as "eyes open" - they have been getting funding to buy derelict homes adjacent to the park and adding the land to the park. Does not sound like Newport Coast. It's not a sports park, rather a strip park. Looks like one restroom. Sports parks are better as you get groups there for games - more people and more mellow.

The last restroom/water/shade facility I surveyed on the Rio Hondo trip was at the Hollydale Park - which is upper LA River Bikeway - just below the confluence. It was rather nice - had picnic tables, shade, etc. and a delightful butterfly gate on the trail. It's at the top of the park at the horse area. There are more RR and water at the lower end. GE: 33.925357° -118.175284° There were crowds down at the lower end at the sports fields. It would be my choice as a trailhead for the upper end of the LA River segment. The other would be John Anson Ford Park on the RH. Tour de Sewer stages out of there. Busy place.

RTC's TrailLink.com is the place to check to find where parking, water, restrooms, etc. are located on a trail. We have been updating the LARIO map for several weeks. Got 12.5 miles of the lower trail to do. The current survey on the south end of RH should be posted in a week.

If you have a trail not in our database, let me know. There are a lot of trails in SoCal that were not listed. I have added 13 since October.

I rode the area from Rosecrans to Long Beach alone. It seemed fine and I felt safe enough to stop my bike and rest on the side of the trail. As Erik D mentioned, it's nicer as you get closer to the beach. On the weekend I didn't see any homeless. On the weekday I did see quite a few but they kept to themselves. It's true that there were no restrooms.

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I will probably stage out of Long Beach and work north. There is a lack of parks adjacent to the river on that leg. I might kick up something.

From my recon: There is a long strip park on DeForest Ave just above Long Beach Blvd that appears to have trail access, baseball fields, etc., so there will be water there and at least one RR. Check down by the tennis courts for that. It's about 7 miles out of trail end - Long Beach. The next would be Dills in Paramount. I would aim for Hollydale above that.

The usual problem with the restrooms in these parks is that they are not in Irvine. Dear Wife has decided that Irvine has the best park loos in the business, so she created the Irvine Scale. 1-5 stars. I agree, they are very nice restrooms. I take the bike into the handicap stall. No way I am leaving 2K of bike and 7C of kit out there to ride off.

I have only ridden that particular 12 mile section once, but it looked like all the rest of the trails. It gets nicer as you get closer to the beach. There were quite a few folks walking along the trail on the Saturday that I rode it.

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The pavement on the Rio Hondo below the dam was excellent. Pair of 5' lanes, plus paved shoulders and none of those continuous cracks you find on the SGRT. It looked like good pavement continued south down the LA River and I was tempted to do a few more miles - but have to get back in time to do the field notes and photos. There was not much traffic coming up the trail - but the heat was building.

Check out this park on the next ride. It looks like there is enough going on to make it a good pit stop and it's seven miles above the trail end.

<http://www.longbeach.gov/park/parks_and_open_spaces/parks/deforest_park.asp>

i've seen a police cruiser parked on the upper rio hondo trail right behind the 60fwy... near the whittier narrows dam recreational area... i guess because there are alot of lurkers and craigslist perverts that hook up near the trail...

like where the upper RHRT turns back into a cement river... i've seen old men coming out of the tree line and bushes all suspicious like... gross...

i'm glad i saw that police officer there...

i
like where the upper RHRT turns back into a cement river... i've seen old men coming out of the tree line and bushes all suspicious like... gross...

i'm glad i saw that police officer there...

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Know the spot. There are a number of palms down there in the wild and then it's back to concrete. Did not know it was a spot for hanky panky. Poking about in the brush does not seem a Good Career Move. On the trail you have sight lines some distance out. I carry binoculars and pull over to glass the route ahead if anything seem out of place (such as the screaming of the mental Anomaly Alert siren).

once we were riding back after dark and some man flagged us down... he was riding a harley type motorcycle and there was a pretty blonde girl passed out on the floor all twisted on the floor... we slowed down, but didn't stop...

the man was ugly and old... i told my friend... what can we do..? he has a cell phone, looks like he's calling for help... i don't know CPR or anything... and what if he drugged her up and she fell off the bike... what if she's dead... i don't want to go to court, or what if he has a gun... so we rode off a little more and called 911 and got transfered a couple of times... they sent someone over, but we didn't want to stick around...

what would that man be doing there in the first place... it was before hitting the nursery for the palms and that street meets the trail... right on the corner... i kind of felt bad for not stopping, but if i can't make matters better i will only make them worst... at least i called the popo...

Generally, during the day, LARIO is fine. There will always be the occasional character - homeless, on drugs, eccentric, etc - but most people on the trail, even the characters, are not looking to harm you. Be smart and you should be fine. Basically, don't ride at night and keep an eye out for (and keep your distance from) anything that truly seems suspicious/out of place.

Generally, during the day, LARIO is fine. There will always be the occasional character - homeless, on drugs, eccentric, etc - but most people on the trail, even the characters, are not looking to harm you. Be smart and you should be fine. Basically, don't ride at night and keep an eye out for (and keep your distance from) anything that truly seems suspicious/out of place.

Agreed. Forget about what you have seen or what could happen, the nature of others cannot be changed. Either you ride it or you don't.

Generally, during the day, LARIO is fine. There will always be the occasional character - homeless, on drugs, eccentric, etc -

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I hope to get up there on Saturday. Probably stage out of De Forest Park and survey up the river first. Anyone have any input on Dills Park in Paramount?

With the MagicShine set on strobe, I probably look like something coming down the trail that you should avoid.

never heard of a dills park... i can't find it on google earth either... weird...

I looked it up on the city website.
Dills is just south of Rosecrans, it has a San Juan St address

Here's a link to it at point C
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=33.90122,-118.18336&z=17&t=H&marker0=33.88946%2C-118.15979%2Cparamount%5C%2C%20ca&marker1=35.18335%2C-119.77364%2C6.9%20mi%20NxNE%20of%20Caliente%20Range%20CA&marker2=33.90122%2C-118.18336%2C1.6%20mi%20WxNW%20of%20Paramount%20CA

Again, if you are truly worried, the buddy system...:)

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From my recon: There is a long strip park on DeForest Ave just above Long Beach Blvd that appears to have trail access, baseball fields, etc., so there will be water there and at least one RR. Check down by the tennis courts for that. It's about 7 miles out of trail end - Long Beach. The next would be Dills in Paramount. I would aim for Hollydale above that.

The usual problem with the restrooms in these parks is that they are not in Irvine. Dear Wife has decided that Irvine has the best park loos in the business, so she created the Irvine Scale. 1-5 stars. I agree, they are very nice restrooms. I take the bike into the handicap stall. No way I am leaving 2K of bike and 7C of kit out there to ride off.

Ah, okay. Yeah I didn't think to explore the park that I did see. I must have somehow missed the other one. That link of the park you sent in your other post...I remember seeing those horses (maybe even the same guys riding. lol). Didn't know that was a park, though. Thought it was private.

And that Dills park you mentioned may be the one I passed right before Rosecrans...it looked like a bunch of dirt paths....I may have even seen a sign that said natures trails?? for walking and hiking so that may be why it isn't easily noticeable as a park per se. However, to tell the truth I wasn't paying that much attention. Was just riding along realizing that hey, the beach is the OTHER way! :roflmao2:

And yes I generally tend to think park restrooms are gross and mostly avoid them at all costs, and I agree with your wife that all of them should be held to Irvine standards!!!

Try Dills Park - down on the Somerset Blvd. end. There is a 4* restroom and water there. Only 4* on the trail, near as I can tell. The rest are 2-3* on the Irvine Flushie Scale. The one at Legg Lake went from a 2 in the AM to a 1 in the PM>

They have torn the park apart and rebuilt it. It's a great looking park.

Dills is a beautiful little park! They've done a lot of work there, and the nature trail includes exercise machines.
There will always be the occasional character - homeless, on drugs, eccentric, etc Hey!!

Dills is a beautiful little park! They've done a lot of work there, and the nature trail includes exercise machines.Hey!!

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It was a delight to find it. Those exercise machines are a great idea. Could use a set down here in a park.